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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 556 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 556

  Expressing support for the designation of May 2014 as Mental Health 
                                 Month.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2014

Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, 
   Mrs. Blackburn, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Honda, Ms. Speier, Ms. Brown of 
Florida, Mr. Levin, Mr. Barber, Ms. Brownley of California, Mrs. Miller 
  of Michigan, Mr. Tonko, and Mr. Perlmutter) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing support for the designation of May 2014 as Mental Health 
                                 Month.

Whereas the mental health and well-being of people in the United States is a 
        critical issue that affects not only quality of life, but also the 
        health of communities, families, and economic stability;
Whereas individuals with mental illness and behavioral health disorders can and 
        do recover utilizing treatment regimens, including psychosocial 
        therapies, medications, peer support and clinical help; as well as other 
        behavioral, psychiatric, psychological, and medical services;
Whereas parents, families, and caregivers are allies in recovery and serve as 
        critical members of the care delivery team;
Whereas advances in brain and behavioral research show significant promise for 
        continued improvements in effective treatments of mental illness;
Whereas 43.7 million American adults experience mental illness;
Whereas approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents has a diagnosable mental 
        disorder;
Whereas 9.6 million American adults experience conditions such as schizophrenia, 
        bipolar disorder, and major depression;
Whereas 3.6 million American adults with a diagnosis of serious mental illness 
        do not receive treatment;
Whereas post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts 15 to 20 percent of 
        veterans of the war in Afghanistan and 20 percent of Iraqi war veterans;
Whereas roughly 20 to 50 percent of all prison and jail inmates are diagnosed 
        with a mental illness and United States prisons are home to ten times 
        more people with mental illness than psychiatric hospitals;
Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the Nation;
Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and lost 
        productivity in the workplace and costs the United States economy over 
        $193 billion per year in lost earnings;
Whereas suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between 
        the ages of 25 and 34;
Whereas the rate of suicide among the elderly is higher than for any other age 
        group;
Whereas 1 in 4 Latino adolescents report contemplating suicide, a rate higher 
        than any other demographic;
Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top ethnicity for suicide rates 
        nationwide;
Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness die, on average, 
        25 years earlier than the general population;
Whereas those with mental illness are 3 to 4 times more likely to be the victims 
        of crime and abuse;
Whereas lack of awareness of one's mental illness, known as anosognosia, affects 
        approximately 50 percent of individuals with schizophrenia and 40 
        percent of individuals with bipolar disorder making it more challenging 
        to receive care;
Whereas the delay between a first episode of psychosis and onset of treatment is 
        an average of 110 weeks;
Whereas stigma associated with mental illness continues to persist;
Whereas recovery-oriented interventions such as supported employment, supported 
        housing, and supported education have been shown to improve outcomes;
Whereas individuals engaged in peer recovery support services utilize crisis and 
        emergency services less; and
Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2014 as Mental Health Month: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of Mental Health Month to 
        remove the stigma associated with mental illness and place 
        emphasis on scientific findings regarding mental health 
        recovery;
            (2) recognizes mental well-being is equally as important as 
        physical well-being for citizens, communities, businesses, and 
        the economy in the United States;
            (3) applauds the coalescing of national and community 
        organizations in working to promote public awareness of mental 
        health and providing critical information and support to the 
        people and families affected by mental illness;
            (4) supports the finding of the President's Commission on 
        Mental Health that the Nation's failure to prioritize mental 
        health is a national tragedy; and
            (5) encourages all organizations and health practitioners 
        to use Mental Health Month as an opportunity to promote mental 
        well-being and awareness, ensure access to appropriate 
        services, and support overall quality of life for those living 
        with mental illness.
                                 <all>
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